Do you wish you were in leadership? Or are you frustrated with being in leadership?

Why does leadership suck?

It sucks because real leadership is hard and requires selfless service. It sucks because the buck stops here, meaning it is ultimately the leader’s responsibility to deal with all of the crap. It requires less effort to “lead” in the harsh, dictatorial, selfish way that is so prevalent today instead of balancing our hard and soft nature. The alternative is servant leadership or Level 5 leadership. This kind of leadership is uncomfortable, humbling, self-denying, painful, and counter-intuitive; nonetheless, it is the only kind of leadership that brings lasting results, genuine happiness, and true self-fulfillment.

So, why should you read my book “Why Leadership Sucks”?

1. To help you understand why you are frustrated.
2. To challenge what you have learned about leadership.
3. To give you practical action steps to practice on your leadership journey.

I invite you to join me on our leadership journey together.

Targeted Age Group: 18-39Genre: Business Leadership, Professional Growth, Self-Help

What was your inspiration for this book?
I was given a great opportunity to lead at a young age, and I want to share what I have learned in the last 10 years of my management career in or to help the next generation of leaders go further faster.
When you wrote the book did you know you were going to offer it as an audio book?
I didn’t at the time and frankly hadn’t even considered it until about 3 or 4 months after I published my ebook and paperback.

Why did you decide to produce an audio book?
I attended a webinar that discussed the huge untapped potential of audiobooks based on limited competition. To put this in perspective, there are less than 200,000 published audiobooks and over 40 Million books in print.

How did you choose the reader for the book and the production company?
I chose to narrate the audiobook myself, since I have a decent baritone voice and a background in music, I wanted to record this myself. I had an audio engineer friend of mine http://www.nathanashton.tv/ do the audio editing and mastering.

If someone is thinking about creating an audio book, what advice would you give them?
It takes a lot more time and effort to record the audiobook than you think, especially if doing it yourself. And pace yourself, since your voice can only record so much in one sitting before it is worn out, even if you suck on throat lozenges and drink tea during recording sessions.

LYCCYX: Episode 1 has been an Amazon Top 10 in military science fiction and a Top 100 in 2 categories (action adventure and science fiction).

Set 50 years from now, Earth is running out of room and resources. In a last-ditch effort, a group of colonists set out to test a lunar colony with the long-term goal of colonizing Mars.

Unfortunately, a genetically engineered virus called LYCCYX breaks out and infects the colonists, turning them into hideous creatures. Our hero’s quest is to deliver the antidote to the people, who now call themselves the Hyans (believing they are the next evolution of humanity).

Will our hero succeed or will he fall at the hand of his best friend and leader of the Hyans?

When you wrote the book did you know you were going to offer it as an audio book?
No, but I could see it as a feature film.

Why did you decide to produce an audio book?
I learned about ACX and how easy it was to create audiobooks out of ebooks published on Amazon.

How did you choose the reader for the book and the production company?
Mike Paine, the narrator, auditioned for the book through ACX first. I did originally seek out a few narrators early on but Mike was the first to send me an audition and I really like what he did with my first audiobook, the short story “A Stormy Night”.[/gravityforms]

If someone is thinking about creating an audio book, what advice would you give them?
Check out ACX, they make it really easy to produce quality audiobooks.

In this gripping debut novel by Andrew Seaward, the lives of three addicts converge following an accidental and horrific death.

Monty Miller, a self-destructive, codependent alcoholic, is wracked by an obsession to drink himself to death as punishment for a fatal car accident he didn’t cause.

Dave Bell, a former all-American track star turned washed-up high school volleyball coach, routinely chauffeurs his bus full of teens on a belly full of liquor and head full of crack.

Angie Mallard, a recently divorced housewife with three estranged children, will go to any lengths to restore the family she lost to crystal meth.

All three are court-mandated to a secluded drug rehab high in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. There, they learn the universal truth among alcoholics and addicts:

Though they may all be sick…SOME ARE SICKER THAN OTHERS.

Based on the author’s own personal experience with substance abuse and twelve-step programs, Some Are Sicker Than Others, transcends the clichés of the typical recovery story by exploring the insidiousness of addiction and the harrowing effect it has on not just the afflicted, but everyone it touches.

With the harsh realism of Brett Easton Ellis and the dark, confrontational humor of Chuck Palahniuk, Mr. Seaward takes the reader deep inside the psyche of the addict and portrays, in very explicit details, the psychological and physiological effects of withdrawal and the various stages of recovery.

As Top 10 Amazon Reviewer, Grady Harp, put it: “What sets Andrew’s novel apart from other recovery stories is his deep understanding of the physiochemical aspects of substance abuse and addiction. Seaward not only understands the socioeconomic, psychological and, yes, criminal impact these people create, he also displays such a profound understanding of the physiological/medical aspects of addiction that we are left to wonder if he hasn’t been down the path of his characters himself.”

Targeted Age Group: 18 and overGenre: Transgressive Fiction

What was your inspiration for this book?
At first, I didn’t want to write this story. Having spent the better part of my twenties in and out of hospitals and rehabs all over the country, I wanted to get as far away from addiction and thinking about addiction as I possibly could. But I couldn’t do it. No matter how hard I tried to forget all that had happened, the memories were right there, taunting me, teasing me, reminding me just how inadequate I was. So, I did what any stubborn alcoholic with only a year of sobriety would do; I decided to face my addiction head on. I turned off my cell phone, powered on my computer, made a pot of coffee, and locked the door.

But after a few weeks of staring at a blank monitor, I quickly began to realize…I wasn’t gonna remember much. As it turns out, I had drank so much and caused so much brain damage that I couldn’t really remember what had actually had occurred. I remembered bits and pieces and fragments of images, like waking up in a hospital bed strapped down by my wrists and ankles while nurses in green uniforms scurried behind me and connected tubes to my arms. But how I got there and what happened after, are all just blurs of another place and time. So, a memoir was out of the question, unless I was gonna fabricate most of it, but we all remember what happened to James Frey.

So, instead of trying to portray the insidiousness of addiction through my own personal story, I decided to portray it through the lives of three fictional characters. This turned out to be a very good decision. Through my main protagonist, Monty, I was able to ask a very difficult question, that I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to ask otherwise. The question I’m referring to is this:

What would happen if, only after a year of sobriety, I lost the only person in my life that I ever truly loved? Would I, like Monty, use it as an excuse to relapse and drink myself into oblivion? Or would I fight to stay sober and live my life clean and pure, the way that she lived hers?

The answer I came up with was a little disturbing, especially for my parents, who I put through absolute hell. But, I believe it was the honest answer, the truthful answer, and I couldn’t have written it any other way. Believe me, I tried.

Why did you decide to produce an audio book?
Last Fall, I took a road trip from Long Beach to San Francisco so I could visit my godchild, Nora Wells. It was a long drive and I didn’t feel like listening to the same old albums I had listened to over and over on previous road trips. Instead, I bought the audio book version of “Moonlight Mile” Dennis Lehane’s follow-up to the thrilling “Gone Baby Gone.” Though not as good as the first, the sequel did keep my mind occupied during that high octane burn up I-5 across the dry, sun-baked fields of the California high desert. While listening to the book (and at the same time trying to avoid dirt devils) I had an epiphany; I can do this! It’s seems so easy. Just think, people could be listening to my book while caravanning across the country, or working out, or running errands, or doing whatever it is people do while listening to a book on tape. In fact, it seemed downright silly not to produce an audiobook. Just think of all the potential listeners I was missing out on – gym rats, marathon runners, commuters, blind people! It’s an untapped market, and the best thing about it is…it’s as easy as ever to get one produced. In fact, if you’re really lucky, you can do what I did, and find someone who will do it for share of the royalties. See below.

How did you choose the reader for the book and the production company?
ACX. AUDIO CREATION EXCHANGE. Probably the best thing to happen to audiobooks since the advent of the iPod. Not only can you find dozens of quality, voice-over professionals in once central location, you can get them to competitively bid on your books in a way that helps drive down the cost of production. In fact, as I mentioned above, I was lucky enough to find a very talented voice over actor by the name of Andrew Wehrlen, who was willing to produce the book for a share of the royalties. This is great for two reasons. The first, obviously being I don’t have to pay any money up front. The second is that I have another person financially invested in the success of the audiobook who will go to great lengths to help me reach my audience. Why? Because for any sales I make, 50% goes into his pocket. So, he has what I call “marketing motivation.” Also, being a voice-over professional, he already knows where all the listeners hang out. Unfortunately, not everyone will be as fortunate as I was in finding an inexpensive source of audio book production. Andrew happened to have a very personal connection with my story. Without going into too much detail, Andrew has had some experience with people (not himself, but family members) dealing with and sometimes succumbing to the insidiousness of addiction. Due to the intense personal connection he made with the characters in the story, Andrew was willing to help me out by doing what he does best: narration and production. It was as simple as that. The fact that his voice was more natural and “layered” than even Robert Downey Jr’s was just icing on the cake. I will definitely be using Andrew’s services for my next project.

If someone is thinking about creating an audio book, what advice would you give them?
Trust your voice-over professional. They know what they’re doing. Chances are, they’ve done a lot more of these than you.

Barnes returns to Valley End High, this time with bits of his lost memory returning. Find out what happens when he finally learns the dark secret behind the largest high school in the world.

Part of the LYCCYX universe, the Valley End High series describes some of the events that take place on Earth while the main story of LYCCYX focuses on the lunar colony know as LB127.

Targeted Age Group: allGenre: mystery, thriller, short stories

What was your inspiration for this book?
I wanted to explore what takes place on Earth while the main story of LYCCYX occurs. Barnes is an interesting character in a unique predicament. In the first installment, Valley End High, he has just found himself starting a new job as a security officer at the largest high school in the world.

He has no memory of anything before that morning. He has no idea why he is working there and has an uncomfortable feeling that this place may not be what it appears to be on the surface.
When you wrote the book did you know you were going to offer it as an audio book?
No.

Why did you decide to produce an audio book?
My first audiobook, A Stormy Night, did extremely well and I figured I might as well use ACX to create an audio version of the Valley End High series. These are perfect for when you want a complete experience but don’t have the time to invest in a full-length novel.

How did you choose the reader for the book and the production company?
ACX made that all so simple. I heard about them shortly after publishing my first eBook and decided to give them a try.

Eric Nutting sent me an audition for Valley End High and I really felt that he captured the character of Barnes perfectly. I immediately asked if he would do both stories in the series and was delighted that he agreed.

If someone is thinking about creating an audio book, what advice would you give them?
Try ACX, especially if you already have eBooks on Amazon. I couldn’t imagine an easier way to produce a quality audiobook.
What else would you like to share with readers about your audio book?
I don’t know how long it will last, but Amazon is offering the first episode, Valley End High for $1.99 when you buy the eBook for $0.99. Since most audiobooks start around $7, this is a phenomenal deal. Also, for Audible members it can be had for one member credit.

The third installment of Valley End High is coming soon so be sure to check out the first two.

Zoe and Zak are lost in exotic India, where gods and magic still exist. Before they can find their way home, they just have to do one little thing…

…Save a mythical creature from an ancient evil that wants to rule the world.

When Zoe Guire goes along on her mom’s business trip to India, things get very weird, very quickly. An elephant god speaks to her from the bottom of a swimming pool… She and her classmate Zak get locked in a trunk and shipped off to a strange city near the foothills of the Himalayas… and a crazy snake charmer tells them they’ve been chosen to protect a mythical creature called the Ghost Leopard from an ancient evil that wants to take over the world.

As they travel deeper into the majestic mountains known as the Realm of the Gods, things get even weirder. If she and Zak want to make it back to their parents, they’re going to have to tap into powers they never knew existed.

Because if they don’t, things will never be the same for any of us ever again.

What was your inspiration for this book?
I wanted to write Indian stories for kids ever since I attended a boarding school in the majestic Himalayas. The time I spent in the “school above the clouds” affected me profoundly, and once I returned home to North America I was struck by the lack of children’s stories from India available in our culture. Since India is such an incredible country, I decided to write a series of action adventure books for young adults about India to introduce young readers to this magical, mystical land. So if you’re looking for a great book adventure for kids, try Ghost Leopard today!
When you wrote the book did you know you were going to offer it as an audio book?
Yes.

Why did you decide to produce an audio book?
Ghost Leopard is a very cinematic book and lent itself perfectly to the audiobook medium.

How did you choose the reader for the book and the production company?
My production company produced the audiobook through ACX. The book is told from the first-person perspective of an 11-year old American girl. There are also many other characters such as the parents, Indian mystics, gods, and her mischievous co-protagonist Zak, an 11-year old boy. So it was a challenging project to find someone who could capture all of those voices. We auditioned several actresses and were thrilled to find our narrator, Bailey Carlson. Her range is incredible and she reminded us of a young Jodie Foster.